Lateral motion resistance and centering device



Match 1 195(9 A. J. VHLLANQ 7 2,500,586

LATERAL MOTION RESISTANCE AND CENTERING DEVICE Filed Feb. 2, L946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR H/berTJ. Villa/70 ,grc

ATI' NEY Patented Mar. 14, 1950 A E L' I ESlSTlAME CENTERING evice Alb rt J.- vill no, oho odrtN- Xs ossi n tto Am ican Lo om ti e floinpemai N, a corpora i n of w:

Application February 2, 1946, Seria1---No.645 ,14;1

9 C aims- 1 This invention relates to. la eral m tion resist ance and centering devices- Lateral motion resistance and centering glee Vices are well known whe e n a ro ler is .diseose between. two .seataeaoh of wh ohhas eppo Ly inclined runways so th t relative la. r l me n between thetwo seats resisted- In such lenses the roller is usually providedwith a ea and he seat ,are provided with inclin d rotoks o fissure positive ro lineofthe roller;- @Suoh-aoonventio e1 device has the drawback tha a central o tral p sition there is nothin -to pr vent the rolle from oscillatin baekand fo th throu h a mell travel, as wh n the vehicle in which he evice is used is running alonga straight path, For example, When a railway VQhj-CIQLj-S running along tangent track-the rollers .of the later l motion resistance and centering device oscillate a short distance on either side .of their neutral pos tions, thus permitting a small relative'oscillation b tween the vehicle truck and superstructure. Any considerable relative lateral, motion is of course resisted. This freedom to oscillate, slightly :on tangent trackis'due to the lack of .sllfiicent i111:- t al resistance, usually cal ed breakaway resist ance. on th part of the roller and. isparavated when the seats, betwe n which the olle s are placed beo me orn their cent rs-at whi h tim h resi anc to ro ler m vemen be omes no: known quantity.-

An object o the p e en in ention is t pro= ride a atera m t on si an an c n e ing vice of the type employing :rollers between dined seats wherein a co sid rable initi brea away resistance at central or neutral position is pr vided o any i i a re ati eiete a motion be twee the o le s ts.

AnOf her object is to provide a device as More,- aid e em a ter t e i a reakawa s st an o is ove me. the r sistance to fu ther I o1ative l era mo o e n th se ts is c nstant.

therand fur h r o jec s of t is invent on wi l appea m e fo lowing desc iption e a companying drawings and the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forminga part of this ep 1ioe n.Fi u1'- is at en s o iewof a portion oi a rafl ay veh c t k mbod ng th seviee of-the present invent on, part y-in sect on on he lin ie-I, of Fig. 3,; Fig.- .2 is, a lone tuoma s ction o -a portion of the truck, ta en on the line jr-of F :F 11.8 a plan of a portio o the structure:shewnrintFig. 1,:parts-heing remov d; Fig. Azis anenlargedsection rm the line Ive-11V lei 2xshowing-arellen=and a portion ,of the seatsassoc-iated" therew'ith in neutral or central" ,poe sition; :Fig. hi a view similar to. Fig. .4 showing the seats displaced laterally relative tozeach other and subject to the initial resistanceof the roller; Fig. 61s a viewsimilar'to Fig. 5 but with the seats further displaced at the beginning .of. the con: stantresistance of thedevice Fig. 7 isan enlarged side view oi a gearof the roller: of the device; Fig. 8 is an enlarged trans-versesectien through the mus y-Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side p view/oi one ofthe racks; and Fig. 1D is an en: larged fragmentary sectional viewtshowing one of the roller seats.

The lateralmotionresistance and centering device of the present invention, indicated generally inc'lndesgatopposite sides of the vertical longitu dinal central plane of the truck, seats 9. Each seat '9 has smooth inclined'runwaysl 0 converging downwardly and i nwa rd-ly.- At the longitudinal centerline of the seatd, that is "at'the bottom of the runways and "extending -long-itudi nally along the seat, are two spaced ribs I I each semi-circula;- in oss section "and protruding upwardly one iron; eachof the runways NJ, the ribs ilbe-ing spaced bygroovefl semi-circular in cross-sectipn, so thatthe curvedfaces of the ribs H are connected by the reentrantcurved face of the gr ove 12, The ribs Ll are also blendedint-o the were il by curved: e nt p tio s 1 A on endo eeohsoat S s a to d k hi es downwar y a inw ly r m its 0D- posi e v. lss ar t the ru 0::

A r I I5 '8 sjsuppo t .o h so t li l er ifi a oylindr wl oe 15 xtendin ntirely around the roller 15 except at its bottom where it is interrupted by two longitudinal spaced grooves I7 semi-circular in cross section and connected by a rib I8 semi-circular in cross section, the face of the rib I8 forming a reentrant curve connecting the faces of the grooves H. The faces of the grooves I! are blended into the face I6 by curved reentrant portions 19. As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the radii r and r of grooves I1 and ribs I I respectively are equal.

The grooves I! are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance that the ribs II are spaced apart, and the rib I8 is of a size adapting it to be disposed in the groove I2 without touching the bottom thereof. The roller I5 has gears 20 at its opposite ends disposed in the adjacent racks I4. The roller is disposed at its neutral or central positio (Fig. 4) with its rib I8 in groove I2 and with its grooves II receiving the ribs II,,the engagement between the roller I5 and the seat 9 being at the uppermost portions of the ribs II When the force tending to cause relative lateral motion between the center plate 2 and the bolster 3 is considerable, the two-point support of each of the rollers I5 will be overcome and as soon as they are overcome the faces I6 of the two rollers will engage the smooth inclined runways l0 and 23 down the inclined runways and permit the center which engage the adjacent portions of the grooves Thus the roller I5 has a two-point support on the seat 9 and the face I6 is out of engagement with the runways II].

A member 2| is mounted on top of the rollers. It is a, casting and, similar to the casting 8, it has seats -22 which have runways 23 converging upwardly and inwardly but have at their longitudinal central portion a curved part 24 substantially corresponding to the portion of the face I5 which they. engage. Toothed racks 25 are provided at the ends of seats 22. The center plate 2 is bolted to the member 2].

As will be seen from Fig. 1, when the center plate is in central position, the two rollers I5 are in neutral or central position, that is they rest on the ribs II (Fig. 4) and the'portions 24 engage the tops of the rollers I5. Each roller l5 thus has a three-point bearing, its engagement with its correlated portion 24 being one point, and its engagement with the two ribs II being the other two points.

The device I offers considerable initial resistance (break-away resistance) to any relative lateral motion between the center plate 2 and the bolster 3 whether this relative lateral motion tends to take place on tangent track won a curve. Before such relative lateral motion can occur between the center plate 2 and the bolster 3, that is between the seats 9 and 22, the two-point support of each roller I5 must be disturbed and the stability of this two-point support overcome. The effect of this can be understood by comparison with a conventional lateral motion resistance and centering device wherein the roller has a continuous cylindrical face and engages at its top and bottom, seats similar to the seat 22. Such a conventional roller would tendto rock easily in the portions in the top and bottom seats corresponding to portion 24, and this would be especially true where these portions become worn in service.

In the instant device before seats- 9 and .22 can be laterally displaced relative to eachother, each roller must be disturbed from its two-point support on the ribs II, and-it will take a considerable shock to do this. That arcuate portion of each of the ribs I I whichen'gages the correspond:

ing arcuate portions of the grooves IT in the roller I5 will oppose the lateral movement of the roller. Therefore slight disturbances which in conventional structures cause relative lateral motion between the center plate and the bolster will not cause relative lateral motion between the center plate 2 and the bolster 3 where the device I is employed.

plate 2 to approach the bolster 3.

Referring to Fig. 6 and assuming that now the roller is returning to neutral or central position, it will be seen that as the face I6 leaves the runway Ifl the roller will drop quickly into place on the two ribs I I so that the last part of the return relative lateral motion is effected by a quick snap which places the roller back in its three-point bearing position. The gears and racks assure that when the roller reaches its neutral or central position the ribs II will be disposed in the grooves IT.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a lateral motion resistance and centering device has been provided which strongly resists initial relative.

lateral motion and will prevent any relative lateral motion at all when the inducing forces are small as when the vehicle is running on tangent track, and this resistance will only be overcome when the inducing force is large as when the vehicle is entering curved track. Furthermore as soon as the initial resistance is overcome, that is when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6-, then thereafter the roller engages the seats only on its cylindrical face I6 and a constant re- :istan'ce is ofiered to further relative lateral mo- The roller may be made in various ways. In the instant case it is shown made of two separate parts I5a and IE2) in flush engagement at their inner ends on the transverse center line of the pocket 1 and welded at their outer ends to their gears 20. Each of the parts I5a and I5b has a central bore 26 and a counterbore 26a in which is disposed a dowel bar 21 which laps the joint between the two parts. No patentable significance is to be attached to this particular two-piece construction of the roller. The roller has been so constructed of two pieces and an aligning dowel solely to facilitate assembly in the railway vehicle to which it is applied. An integral roller would function equally well.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various'changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is r l. A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed normally centralized roller seats, one of the seats having two lateral inclined runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the other of the seats; and a roller between and in engagement with the seats, the engaging portions of the roller and of the seat with the inclined runways having co-acting means to provide mutual lateral engagement between such portions, when such seats are centralized, said means including two laterally spaced depressions in one of the engaging portions and two laterally spaced projections onthe other of such portions, the projections being normally disposed in the depressions whereby aforce initially'moving one of the seats laterally. relative to the other of the seats must first overcome the resistance resulting from the engagement between the depressions and projections.

'2. A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed normally centralized roller seats, one of the seats having two lateral inclined runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the other of the seats; and a roller between and in engagement with the seats, the engaging portions of the roller and of the seat with the inclined runways having coacting means to provide mutual lateral engagement between such portions, when such seats are centralized, such means including two laterally spaced grooves in one of the engaging portions and two laterally spaced ribs on the other of the portions the ribs being normally disposed in the grooves whereby a force initially moving one of the seats laterally relative to the other of said seats must first overcome the resistance resulting from the engagement between the grooves and ribs.

3. A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed normally centralized members, each having two laterally spaced roller seats, the seats of one of such members each having two lateral inclined runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the correlated seat of the other of such members; and a roller between and in engagement with each of the correlated seats, the engaging portions of" each of the rollers and its inclined runways, when such members are centralized, having coacting means providing mutual lateral engagment between such portions, said means including two laterally spaced depressions in one of such portions and two laterally spaced projections on the other of such portions normally disposed in such depressions whereby a force initially moving one of the members laterally relative to the other of the members must first overcome the resistance against movement of the rollers.

4. A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed normally centralized roller seats, each of the seats having two lateral inclined runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the other of the seats; and a roller between and, in engagement with the seats, the roller and-one of the seats, when the seats are centralized, having coacting means providing lateral engagement there between, said means including two laterally spaced grooves in the roller and two laterally spaced ribs 0n the seat normally disposed in the grooves whereby a force initially moving one of the seats laterally relative to the other of the seats must first over-.

come the resistance against movement of the roller resulting from the engagement between the grooves and the ribs.

5. A. lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed normally centralized roller seats, each of the seats having two lateral inclined runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the other of the seats; and a cylindrical roller between and in engagement with the seats, the roller and one of said seats, when said seats are centralized, having coacting meansprovidinglateral engagement therebetween, said means including two laterally spaced groovessemi-circular in cross 'section'in said roller and two laterally spaced .ribs semicircular in cross section on the coacting seat, such ribs being normally. disposed -in the grooves whereby a force initially'movingone of the seats laterally relative to'the other of the seats must first overcome the resistance against movement of the roller resulting from the engagement between the grooves andribs, the grooves being connected to each other and to the cylindrical face of the roller by reentrant curved portions and the ribs being connected to each other and to their connecting runways by reentrant curved portions.

6. A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising opposed lateral roller seats, one of the seats having runways diverging from their adjacent inner ends toward the other of the seats, the angle of inclination of each runway being constant; and a, roller between the seats disposed, when the seats are centralized relative to each other, at the bottom of the runways, the engaging portions of the roller and the runways, when the roller is in such bottom position having means providing lateral engagement therebetween, such means including two laterally spaced grooves in one of the portions extending in a direction longitudinally of the roller, and two laterally spaced ribs on the other of the portions normally disposed in the grooves, the roller having a cylindrical face extending from one outer side of its said portion completely around the roller to the other side of its said portion and engaging such other seat, whereby initial relative lateral movement between the seats from their centralized position is resisted by the stability of such lateral engagement, and further relative lateral movement between the seats, after such initial relative lateral movement, is opposed by constant resistance emanating from the movement of the roller cylindrical face along one of the constantly inclined runways.

A lateral motion resistance and centering device comprising two opposed roller seats, one of the seats having inclined runways diverging outwardly toward the other seat and having a plurality of longitudinal ribs thereon; and a roller having a cylindrical periphery with a plurality of longitudinal grooves therein, said roller being disposed between the seats so that the grooves therein will engage the seat ribs when the roller is at the bottom of the inclined runways whereby a force initially moving one of the seats laterally relative to the other of the seats must first overcome the resistance against movement of the roller created by the engagement of grooves and ribs.

8. A lateral motion resistance and centering device arranged between the truck element and the load element of a railway vehicle comprising two opposed roller seats, one disposed upon the truck element and one upon the load element, the truck element seat having inclined runways diverging outwardly from its center line toward the other seat and having longitudinal ribs spaced from said center line; a roller arranged between the seats in engagement therewith and normally disposed upon the center line of the truck element seat, said roller having longitudinal grooves in engagement with the seat ribs when the roller is in normal position, whereby a force initially moving one of the seats laterally relative to the other-must first overcome the resistance against REFERENCES CITED movement of the roller resulting from the engagement between the grooves and the ribs; a y: gi gw g fs are of record m the pinion upon the roller; and a rack on one of said p elements to mesh with the pinion to maintain the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS grooves of the roller in predetermined positions relative to the ribs of the seat. ggz gg O :2 9. A lateral motion resistance and centering 1 689261 Todd 1928 device, according to claim 8, in which the nor- 1751336 i 1930 mally engaging portions of the grooves and ribs 10 1806097 symingto'; Ma 1931 have curvatures of the same radius. 2033726 Meyer et a1 1936 ALBERT VILLANO- 2,271,867 Maris F 1942 2,309,634 Edahl et a1 Feb. 2, 1943 

